Create a plan of progression – Sun 1.22.17

Learning movements that are required for improved fitness – movements like squats, snatches and pull ups – take time, as does improving your mobility, your endurance, your speed and your power.

Improving your fitness is a slow process. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when they show up at our doors. Some students struggle with mobility, others with stability, others yet come to us two months after having knee surgery and need to be tended with care. And on the other end of the spectrum, some athletes arrive at our door well conditioned with an extensive athletic background.

The point is we all have different needs when we progress in a strength and conditioning program.

BUT, with all the 20-30+ movements we do regularly at the gym, you should know exactly how to scale each movement if you’re not yet able to master everything. And more importantly you should have a relationship with a coach, who will help you with that progression.

Most, of these movements show up every single week in some form or another. Which means, if any one of these movements concern you, you will have that concerned feeling every week unless you overcome it!

When I started CrossFit in 2006, the workout “Fran” was posted on CrossFit.com almost monthly. Knowing it was coming up that often, I decided to do two things. 1) increase the weight by 5lbs each time if, and only if, I beat my previous time. 2) record how long I stayed on the pull up bar without coming down or doing Chest to Bar Pull Ups. I did that for about eight or nine times before just trying regular “Fran” again. It’s amazing how doable a workout like “Fran” becomes after doing it at 120lbs and trying to string as many Chest to Bar Pull ups together non stop.

If Box Jumps are your issue, what are you doing to work on them? The height in most Conditioning workouts is 24 inches for the Men and 20 inches for Women. If you are doing workout after workout with 12 or 15 inch boxes, then there is a very easy progression. Put a 10# bumper plate on the box. It will raise you up one inch. Now you are completing 13 inch Box Jumps. Stay at that height for a week or two, or even a month. Then add another inch when you’re ready.

If you are still working on Pull Ups, what then? Then you should know at what height your Ring Rows are set at. EVERY time Pull Ups are programmed, you try to drop the height of the rings just one inch closer to the floor. Over a period of a few months, your back and arms should be jacked from working harder and harder each workout and you will be that much closer to pull ups!

Handstand Push Ups or just Handstands? Complete 1 attempt to kick into a Handstand against a wall in between your sets of Deadlifts, Bench Press, or whatever. You get 5-10 reps in each day, and they become easier and easier.

The point is, these exercise movements are going to come up again and again and again. That gives us a weekly chance at least to improve on all the skills out there. But you need to come up with a game plan. Talk with a coach and we’ll help!